Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom for Criminal Practice
Practice Area Overview
It is an immutable fact that criminal trials in England and Wales are adversarial. The prosecutor presents evidence to the court said to implicate the defendant in the criminal conduct charged. In contrast, the defence lawyer will seek to challenge the prosecution evidence and present defence evidence, which may include the defendant giving evidence. It is up to the judge (or lay justices) or the jury to declare guilty or not guilty verdict. It the police by and large who gather evidence to prosecute and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), generally, who decide to prosecute.
Non-white collar crime can range from motoring offences at one end of the spectrum and murder at the other where imprisonment for life is mandatory. There are other offences in the calendar of offences which have serious impact on the defendant, by deprivation of liberty or serious financial penalty or the loss of his good character resulting in his ability to earn a living.
It is crucial that the individual facing criminal proceedings secures the services of an expert solicitor from the outset. The solicitor can guide and protect his rights in the police station at any interview. He can negotiate the level of charge with CPS (or other prosecuting authority) where appropriate. If the matter proceeds to trial the experienced solicitor will deal with disclosure of the prosecution evidence and bring any challenge to the trial court if necessary.
At the trial the solicitor advocate or the instructed counsel (barrister) will advise the defendant on what prosecution evidence to challenge and cross examine relevant witnesses. The defendant will be advised on whether to give evidence and taken through his evidence in-chief.
In the event of a guilty verdict the experienced criminal practitioner will be on hand to advice on appealing the sentence or the verdict. There are different time limits for lodging an appeal dependent on the court of conviction. Where leave is required to appeal the sentence or conviction the solicitor will offer hands-on advice on the prospects of success in the Crown Court or in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). The services of an experienced solicitor is essential for the individual facing a criminal charge.
Simon Airey focuses his practice on global, cross-border and internal investigations, financial and regulatory crime, bribery and corruption, money laundering, tax and fraud inquiries, data breaches, dawn raids, asset tracing, international enforcement and corporate compliance issues. He has conducted a wide range of investigations and corporate defence assignments in different sectors, including construction, defence, financial services, gambling, oil and gas, logistics, pharmaceuticals and ...
Mark Beardsworth is a partner in Cadwalader’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Group, resident in the London office. Mark focuses his practice in the defense of serious fraud and criminal matters and has been involved in prosecutions brought by the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Services Authority, HM Revenue and Customs, the Financial Reporting Council and the Environment Agency. These cases are often complex, high profile and international in nature. Mark has a special int...
Stephen Pollard is a seasoned litigator with more than 30 years of experience in the full spectrum of business crime and securities enforcement work. During his career, Mr. Pollard has been involved in most of the significant business crime investigations and prosecutions brought by the UK authorities. Mr. Pollard has particular experience in representing senior individuals from public and private companies, including those from the financial services sector. In addition, Mr. Pollard is regul...
The law is my passion… As a barrister with almost 20 years’ experience in regelation and criminal corporate defence, you can be confident that from the moment of instruction, I will work tirelessly to protect and promote your best interests. I have immense empathy for business owners and company directors facing the everyday challenges of regulatory compliance whilst achieving sales and growth targets. Therefore, my first priority will be to develop an understanding of your busin...
Zahra Mashhood’s practice focuses on cross-border investigations, both regulatory and internal, in relation to fraud, bribery, corruption, money laundering, competition and sanctions breaches. Ms. Mashhood has assisted corporations and individuals in proceedings brought by the U.K. Serious Fraud Office, Financial Conduct Authority, Competition and Markets Authority, Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Financial Services ...
Vanessa McGoldrick advises clients on a broad range of cross-border regulatory, criminal and civil investigations and financial crime matters, including bribery and corruption, money laundering, financial sanctions, fraud and tax evasion. Ms. McGoldrick has represented clients before a range of U.K. prosecutors and regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority, Serious Fraud Office, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Competition and ...
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